Rail-joint.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

0. A. MINERD.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED 1 213.21 1905.

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Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. MINERD, OF UNIONTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

. RAlL- IOlNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,928, dated May 2,1905,.

Application filed February 21, 1905. Serial No. 246,699.

To aZZ whom, it may concern- Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MINERD, acitizen of the United States of Arnerica,residing at Uniontown, in thecounty of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrail-fasteners; and the invention has for its object to dispense withthe use of nuts and bolts and employ novel means for securing the endsof two rail-sections together.

The invention aims to provide a novel form of chair adapted to besupported upon a suitable road-bed. In the chair I secure theconfronting ends of two sections of rail by employing novel forms offish-plates or spliced bars which are adapted to interlock with oneanother.

In connection with my improved rail-joint I employ novel means forbracing fish-plates employed in connection with my improved rail-joint.

The above construction, together with the details of construction, willbe hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out inthe claims, and, referring to the drawings accompanying thisapplication, like numerals of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of myimproved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the same. Fig. 3is an end view of my improved rail-joint. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view of the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the chair,partly broken away; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fishplate orsplice-bar employed in connection with my improved rail-joint.

In the accompanying drawingsI have illustrated my improved rail-joint asbeing formed between two ties 1 and 2, and these ties are adapted tosupport the ends of a chair 3. The chair is clearly illustrated in Fig.5 of the drawings, and by referring to this figure it will be seen thatthe chair comprises a base portion 4, carrying a fish-plate '5, which ispreferably formed integral with the base portion 4. The fish-plate 5 isformed upon one side of the chair, and diametrically opposed to saidfish-plate is a brace-plate 6, which is also preferably formed integral,the entire chair being preferably formed of a casting. The ends of thebase portion 4 of my improved chair extend beyond the fish-plate 5 andthe brace-plate 6, and these ends are pro vided with apertures 7 7 and 88, whereby the chair can be secured, if desired, by spikes 9 to the ties1 and 2. The one side of the chair is provided with vertically-disposedgrooves 10 10, in which are adapted to engage spikes 11 11, employed forsecuring the chair to the ties 1 and 2. The inner face of the fish-plate5 is provided with beveled faces 12 12, that converge toward oneanother. The object of these beveled faces will be presently described.

The reference-n umeral 14 designates a fishplate or splice-bar having alongitudinallydisposed slot 15 formed in its one end, and this slot ismade of a sufiicient width to permit of the fish-plate 14 being placedin engagement with the brace-plate 4. The side of the fish-plate 14 isadapted to engage the web portions 16 of the rails 17 and 18.

The reference-numeral 19 designates a vertically-disposed apertureformed in the-fishplate 14, and this aperture is employed in connectionwith a pin 20 for locking the fish-plate 14 in engagement with the chair3. the base portion 4 of said chair being provided with an aperture 21to receive the pin 20.

After the fish-plate 14 has been placed in engagement with the rails 17and 18 a liner or splice-bar 22 is inserted between the web portions 16of said rails and the converging beveled faces 12 of the plate 5. Thisliner firmly locks the rails 17 and 18 in engagement with thefish-plates 14 and 5, and the brace-plate 6 retains the fish-plate 14 inengagement with the web portions 16 of the rails 17 and 18. Tofacilitate the mounting of the fish-plate 14 upon the brace-plate 6, Ihave provided the brace-plate with a tapered end 23, which is adapted toengage in the tapered end 24 of the slot 15.

In connection with the chair 3 and the fishplates 1th and 5 I employbrackets 25 25, which are secured to the ties 1 and 2 by spikes 26 26.These brackets are adapted to overlie the brace-plate 6 and thefish-plate 14 and brace and steady the heads of the rails 17 and 18.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the ties 1 and 2 asbeing cut away, as indicated at 27, to support the chair 3; but it willof course be understood that the ties can be sunk or depressedsufliciently to accommodate the chair in horizontal alinement with therest of the road-bed without cutting away the ties.

The construction of my improved rail-joint permits of the rails 17 and18 being firmly braced and secured together, forming practically acontinuous tread upon the rails 17 and 18 for the rolling-stock, whichpasses over the same.

While I have herein shown the preferred manner of constructing myimproved joint, it is obvious that various changes may be made in thedetails of construction without departing from the general spirit andscope of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

15 In a rail-joint, the combination with two sections of rails, of achair, a fish-plate carried by said chair, a brace-plate carried by saidchair, a fish-plate adapted to engage said plate, brackets adapted toembrace said fish-plate and said brace-plate, and means to secure saidplates and chair together, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with two sections of rails, of achair, a fish-plate carried by said chair, a brace-plate carried by saidchair, a fish plate adapted to embrace said brace-plate, a liner adaptedto engage said rails and said fish-plate, brackets adapted to engagesaid chair and said fish-plate, means to secure said chair and saidplates together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

' CHARLES A. MIN ERD. Witnesses:

J No BOYLE, O. P. MARKLE.

